Folding handle



Dec. 30, 1947. F. s. SCHADE FOLDING HANDLE F iled April 2, 19145 Patented Dec. 30, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,433,788 :FQLDI'NG HANDLE Frank Stanley Schade, Holyoke, Mass, assig-nor ,toNational Blank Book Company, Holyoke, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 2, 1945, Serial No.-586,127

.1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improve folding handle.

The records for automatic bookkeeping ma!- chines are frequently arranged in trays having separating sheets between which index sheets and the work sheets are positioned. For advantageous operation certainfeatures of construction at the bottom of the tray are provided to facilitate manipulation of the separator, index and work sheets, as will be hereinafter pointed out. The trays are frequently removed from their cases or the shelves on which they are stored and the structural features mentioned make them awkward to handle.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a structure having all of the structural features which give the most advantage in the manipulation of the contents of the tray and at the same time permits increased ease in handling the tray, the structural features for both purposes being so intergrated that the various parts of the tray cooperate in the achievement of both purposes.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the tray in open position; I

Fig. 2 is a similar generally-isometric viewshowing the handles in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view on a larger scale, parts being broken away to show the lower hinge of one of the side plates, the arrangement of the separator and index sheets at the bottom of the tray, and their relation to base structure to which the side plates are hinged;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary isometric view showing the arrangement of the parts adjacent the side plates looking from inside of the tray; and.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary isometric view showing the handle member released.

Referring to the drawings the tray is shown as comprising a relatively shallow rectangular base I to the sides of which relatively heavy side plates '2 are hinged along their lower edges by hinge members 3 riveted to the lower edges of the side plates. As best shown in Fig. 3, the hinge is in part formed by spaced portions 4 projecting from the edge of the base and bent into cylindrical shape. Similar cylindrical portions 5 of member 3 fit between the portions 4, with th axes of the cylinders 4 and 5 in alignment and in the planes of the side plate and the side wall 6 of the base. A small rod I extending through the cylinders forms the pintle of the hinge. The outward swinging movements of the I side plates are limited by arms 8 pivoted at one end to the end wall of the .base as at 9. The outer ends of the arms 8 are provided with studs in extending through slots ll formed in members l2 riveted to the side plates, the ends of the studs carrying rollers I3 traveling along the inner faces of members l2 as the side plates are swung on their hinges.

Seated on the bottom of the base, between the side walls 6, are a plurality of separating sheets l4, generally of stiff cardboard. The lower edges of the separators M are cut away, as at I5, inter.- mediate their ends and the downwardly extending end portions 4'5 are each provided with a roller or rocker 11 provided with a longitudinal cut IS in which the edges of the portions 16 ar secured as'by a suitable adhesive. It is not necessary Or even desirable to extend the rocker con.- struction longitudinally of the tray beyond the extent needed to give the separators adequate support, an inch Or two usually being sufficient for the purpose. The bottom of the end portions of the base are provided with a corrugated flooring I 9 in which the rockers l-I seat. The function of the rocker is to provide a slight spacing of the separator sheets, even when two are positioned adjacent each other, and to assist in the ease with which they can be swung through the angle determined by the limit of swinging movement permitted the side plates. The separators are releasably held in rocking position in selected corrugations by transverse rods 20; which extend through openings 2| formed in the separators and loosely engage the upper side of the rockers as best shown in Fig. 3. 4

To permit desired positioning of the separators, rods 20 are made removable. One end of the rods 20 seat in a recess, not shown, in one side wall of the base. The other end extends through an opening 22 in an inner wall member 23 opposite a slot 24 in the outer wall. A slide 25, provided with an opening 26, is slidably mounted between member '23 and the outer wall. In one extreme position of the slide, opening 28 is in alignment with opening 22 permitting withdrawal of the rod through slot 24. In other positions of the slide endwise movement of the rod is prevented by the solid portion of the slide.

The floor of the base intermediate the end portions is approximately level with or slightly above the high points of the corrugations l 9 and is provided with a slightly ribbed surface 21 such as is afforded by a covering of a corduroy fabric. Index and work sheets such as are indicated at 28 are inserted as desired between the separators [4. The lower edges of the sheets 28 are formed with a plurality of indentations 29 adapted to engage on rods 20 and a plurality of fixed rods 30 extending transversely over the surface of the intermediate portion of the floor of the base. The sheets 28 may thus be freely withdrawn from the tray but are restrained against longitudinal sliding movement by their engagement with the rods.

At the upper edges of the side plates 2 are mounted hinged handle assemblies generally indicated at 3!. Each assembly comprises two plates 32 and 33 hinged together at 34 in a manner generally similar to the hinge at the bottom of the side plates. Each plate 32 and 33 is formed respectively with interfitting spaced cylindrical portions 35 and 36 through which a pin- 7 tie rod 3'! extends. Plate 32 is riveted to the inside surface of the side plate, the upper edge of the side plate being notched as at 38 to receive the hinge and position the pintle in the plane of the side plate. Below the lower edge of plate 32 the side plate is cut away as shown at 39, the upper edge of the opening 39 being notched at 40. Plate 33 is formed with a central opening 4| providing a hand grip, the lower edge of opening 4| being rolled inwardly as at 42 to provide a bead engageable beneath a spring tongue 43, extending from plate 32 outwardly through notch 49, to releasably hold the handle plate 33 flatly against the outer face of side plate 2 when the handle is not in use. The bead 42 extends substantially the full length of the handle opening and serves to give a smooth, rounded, comfortable contour to the hand grip when the handles are in operative position as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that by the structure above described the carrying, opening, or other manipulation of the tray by means of one. or both handles is effected in a manner consistent with securing the full advantage of the separator, index and work sheet structure first described or structures having similar or desired advantages. The result of any manipulation of the handles, or one handle, is transmitted through the side plate to the lower hinge which is positioned so nearly in the plane in which the separators and associated parts are hinged that the swinging action of all hinged or swlngable elements at the base coincide with the swinging movement of the side plate. The arrangement of the hinge pintle in the plane of the side plates is preferred since movement of the hinged parts with respect to each other takes place without leverage action and without offsetting one of the parts with respect to the other. This, with the fact that the handle grip member may be brought flatly against the outer face of the side plate, makes it further possible to store the trays on shelves or in cases with all the usual advantages plus the advantages which the handles give.

I claim:

A handle assembly for a side plate of a tray comprising two members hinged together by means of a pintle hinge, one of said members being secured to the inner face of the side plate, a notch formed in the upper edge of the side plate, the pintle of the hinge being positioned in said notch and in the plane of the side plate, the second member having its center portion cut away to form a hand grip and being foldable flatly against the outer face of the side plate, an opening in said side plate, and a spring tongue formed on the first member and extending through said opening for spring engagement with an edge of the second member when the latter is folded against the outer face of the side plate to releasably hold the second member in the latter position.

FRANK STANLEY SCHADE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 980,193 Brenia Jan. 3, 1911 2,077,629 Lahr Apr. 20, 1937 1,474,642 Proudfit Nov. 20, 1923 2,325,641 Thomson Aug. 3, 1943 2,330,953 Copeland Oct. 5, 1943 2,350,266 Wolters May 30, 1944 2,356,495 Anderson Aug. 22, 1944 2,359,376 Martin Oct. 3, 1944 2,364,640 Martin Dec. 12, 1944 

